Automatic speed-control mechanism for automobiles



C. ADLER, JR

April 28, 1931.

AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROL MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 23, 1926 5Sheets-Sheel'I 1 RN .wmv W x., N

INVENTOR.

@Ma umf,

A TTORNEY.

April 28, 1931. C, ADLER, JR 1,803,288

AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROL MEOHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 25, 1926 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. (LQ/ZW Qdi/ffy.

April 28, 1931 c. ADLER, JR 1,803,288

AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROL MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed July 25, 192e `ssheets-sheet 3A IN VEN TOR.

aga/o f3 am ATTORNEY.

Patented *Apn 28, 19431 Unirse/STATES PATENT' orf-ics .CHARLES ADLER,JR., F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO TEE ADLER SAFETY CONTROLCOMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION 0F MARYLAND AUTOMATIC'S`PEED-CONTROL MCHANISM FOB AUTOMOBILES Application led July 23, 1926.Serial No. 124,347.

This invention relates to anV automatic mechanism for controlling thespeed of auto-x mobiles on trackless highways.

The object ofthe invention' is to provide an automobile with a mechanismthat may auto- Vma ically be actuated by :t mechanism located neticmeans arranged on the highway whereby to cut olf the power andautomatically reduce the speed until a predetermined reduced speed ofthe automobile shall have been effected and tothen permit the automobileto proceed at or below such reduced speed. The present invention is animprovement on or modification of the apparatus disclosed in my pendingapplication `for patent, Serial No. 23.528, liled in the Patent/Otlice-April 16th 1925, and differs-from the latter inthe form of apparatusand circuits carried on the` vehicle as well as in the roadway magneticmeans. f

' The present invention includes a magnetic element on the vehicle whichis `actuated by devices onthe trackless highway, andthe effects of suchactuation areI determined by a speed-operated device or governor so thatwhen such actuation takes place` the power means on the vehicle will becut oil' if the vehicle is exceeding a,predetermined speed or willcont-inne effective ifthe speed is at orv below such predeterminedspeed. l

In the present invention I also make use of devices and circuits notdisclosed in my prior application.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, where- Fig. 1 shows an outline of an automobile anddiagrammatically illustrates an arrangement of the elements and circuitsthereon for carrying out the present inventive idea.

Fig. 2-illustrates a cross-sectional detail through a highway with myhighway device embedded therein and also shows an alitoniobile on thehighway over the magnetic dcvice.

f Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically the apparatuslocated on the automobiletogether with thenormal circuit connections for operating the same, and

Fig. 4 illustrates the circuits and the ap-v paratus on the vehicle whenthe device is automatically operated to cut oli' the power means.

In the present illustration of the invention the numeral 6 designatesthe rear axle of an automobile; 7 the hood under `which the engine 8 is`located and 9 designates a brake device on the rear wheels.

In the present instance, it is presumed that the brake on theautomobileis designed to be operatedelectricallyby a solenoid 10 throughrod and lever connections 11 and 12 so that the closing of acircuittlirongh the said solenoid will actuate the brake device.

In the presentfdisclosure the solenoid-actuated brake will beoperated tocheck the speed of the automobile but will be released Awhen the speedhas been reduced, as will presently be explained.

In further carrying out the present inven tion, I provide devices thatwill automaticallycontrol the power means on the automobile, withouthowever interfering with the normal and proper operations at the will ofthe driver, except at dangerous places, where the speed of theautomobile should be reduced.

One means, under the present invention. to

eifect this automatic control of the automobile is illustrated in thepresent application but it is to be understood thatthe invention innoway is limited or restricted to the means hereindisclosed.

In thedrawing, I show a casing 17 which may be mounted at any convenientplace on the automobile, but in this instance inacces` sible to thedriverwhile the latter is on the drivers seat. and at present shown ascarried under the hood and at the forward side ofthe dash orinstrument-board 13 of the automobile.

lrespectively, as clearly shown In this casing, which may have a glasswin-` back contacts ar and Z) and said armature is controlled accordingto the speed of the vehicle, as will presently be fully explained.

In addition to the two electro-magnets 18 and 19 and their armatures 20and 22, I make use of a magnetized element such for example as a manetic needle-bar 23, which is so arl ranged t atfwill be operated atdangerous places on the highway by a highway mechanism hereinafterexplained, so as to interrupt current through the electro-magnet 18whenever the automobile enters a dangerous zone at a speed above apredetermined low speed.

I further employ on the automobile a speed governor 251 which latter isaranged so\ that when the speed is at or below a predetermined lowspeed, a circuit will be maintained through the electro-magnet 19 andhold its armature 22 up in orderto maintain a circuit through the frontcontact, a, thatvwill enable the power means on the automobile to keepon functioning irrespective of the operations of the magnetic needle-bar23.

The automobile is provided with the`usual battery 25 and also with theusual mechanisms 'such as ignition switch 26, distributor 27 and theintermediate devices to produce the proper spark at the spark-.plugs28`of the motor. Q

The speed governor 24 may also if desired be the' speedometer, and inthis instance it makes use of a movable contact element 29,'in

' the form of an indicator hand and a segment plate 30 asa stationarycontact element so that when the hand indicates speeds say from zero tofifteen miles per hour it and `the contact plate 30 will be*inengagement while above fifteen miles per hour the said hand and contactplate will be out of engagement.

I have herein refered to a power means gin' connection with the moto`r\and to a means for controlling the same.v By this latter I -mean anyelement of the motor or coacting therewith will cutod the power. Forexample., if thev ignitionbe interrupted so asto stop the spark at theplugs there will obviously be no. power until that ignition is restored,butthe power may be cut o in otherv ways andthe invention is to/beconstrued with this in mind.

In the present (instance the magneticallyoperated element has the formof double or.

- crossed needles 28 andi's mounted lto oscil- .late in a case 31 whichin the present instance is presumed to' be attached to the under side`of the running-board of the automobile on the right hand side of thecar.

' JThis needle-bar is mounted on a horizontal axis so it may swing orrockin a vertical,l plane and attached to the bar is a link or otherconnection 32, which latter connects the needlebar with a movableswitch-element 33. This /movable switch element 33 normally engages acontact34 on a post 15 in the case ,31 and may be aided in thatengagement by means of an adjustable spring 35.

It is believed to be clear that if the needlebar 23 is actuated by beingswung or rocked by the attraction of unlike poles of thehighway energymeans, the oscillating movement of such needle bar will actuate the link32 and draw the switch-element 33 from engagement with contact 34, thusopening a circuit at such point.

A form of highway mechanism is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing andin connection therewith it is to be understood that the highway devicesare located atfdanger'ous places along the highwayfsuch asV at dangerouscurves,'crossroads, railway crossings, entrances to hamlets or villagesand in similar places where the speed o. the automobile should bereduced, and it should also be understood that the highway installationat one dangerous point has no mechanical or electrical connection withasimilar installation at any other point and that each highway device isentirely separate and independent 'of all other highway devices.

It is customary and a well-known rule that all vehicles keep to theright of a highway and this -rule is .so well beyed by drivers that inthe present disclosure, I recognize and take `advantage of this rule ofthe road in locating the highwayactuating means.

'In Fig. 2 of the drawing, I show a crosssectional detail through thehighway and by reference thereto, it -will bev noted'- that beneath thesurface 36 of the highway, I provide a magnet structure 37 mounted on-abase 38 and extending crosswise of the highway the effect of the highwafvdevice the right hand side of the automobilev must be well over on theleft hand side of the road and beyond the left hand end ofthe highwaymagnet.

. In the present instance thehighway magnet structure is' buriedbeneath'p'the surfacef36 o of the highway.

In its present formfthemagnet is-shown as neoaeee` all being uppermostand the other like polesl being at the base.

The poles of the needle-bar actuator 23 on the vehicle are arranged soas to be attracted by the uppermost poles of the highway magnet as theautomobile passes over the highway magnet, so that as each highwaydevice is passed the Jneedle-bar 23 will be actuated to momentarilyVopen or separate the contacts 33-34 onV the automobile and therebyeffect an operation on the vehicle that will automatically causea-reduction in the vehicle speed. if when that operation takes place thespeed islabove a predetermined speed, say of over fifteen miles perhour.

The operation is brought about by means ,and circuits which will now beexplained.

By reference to Fig. 3, it will be noted that both relays 18 and 19 areshown as energized; that the speed switch 29-30- is closed because c thespeed is fifteen miles or under perhour,

and that the needle-bar actuator 23 and its switch 33-34 are closed.

The circuit for' normally maintaining the electro-magnet 18, which isthe reset magnet, includes the battery 39; wires 4041; post ofneedle-bar actuator; contacts 324-33 of said actuator; wires 42-43 torelay 18, and wire 4t back to battery 39. rlfhis circuit through thereset magnet or relay 18, will be maintained, regardless of the speedswitch 29-30, as long as needle-bar contacts 3-1-33 are kept closed, butwhen thevehicle reaches speed. f Y l 'l his substitute circuit foe relay18, at low or safe speed is 'as follows; n

a highway magnet 37 the needle-bar actuator 23 will be attracted by suchhighway magnet and the contacts 34-33 will be momentarily opened.

This momentary opening of the contacts 31e-33 would cause relay 18 tobecome decnergized everytime contacts`34-33 open, unless some means beprovlded to prevent such deenergization, and every time that relay 18 isdeenergized the/powermeans is to be cut off by, in this instance,interrupting or breaking the ignition circuit to the. distributor andspark-plugs.

As, in accordance with this invention, it is proposed to only interruptor cut otl' the power means when the speed is excessive at the timemagnetic needle contacts34-33 are operated, it apparently becomesnecessary to provide a substitute circuit forA the relay 18, if thespeed is below arpredetermined low Then the automobile speed is at orbelow the predeterminedvlow speed the contacts '9-30 of the speed switchor governor 24 will be closed andthe substitute circuit for relay 18includes that speed switch. y

rl`his substitute circuit-therefore starting i with relay 18 includeswire 44, battery 39;

wires 40 and 45 to speed switch contacts30 and 29; wire 46 `to andthrough magnet 19; wire 4T to and 4through battery 48, and wires 49 and43 back to relay 18.

Thissu'bstitute circuit for relay 18 will therefore be effectiveprovided the speedswitch contacts 30g-29 are. closed and the speed is'at or below the predetermined sa'fe speed, say of iifteen miles perhour, and even though the needlefbar contacts 34-33 are opened las ahighway device isy passed the power means willrnot be cut ott orinterrupted if the speed is safe at the time the, i

needle-bar is actuated.

The ignition circuit is normally maintained through the relay 18 whenthe speed of the .automobile is above the predetermined low speed asfollows.

From 'main battery 25by wires 5() and 51 to and through armature 20 andcontact 21 of the relay 18; then through post 52, wires 53 and 54 to andthrough the ordinary1 ignition switch 26 on the automobile; then bywires 55 to and through the distributor 27 and spark plugs 28 and returnby ground to the main battery 25. i

The maintainance of this normal ignition circuiti therefore includesarmature 20 of relay 18 and said gized. f

It is therefore to be understood that the ignition circuit or the powermeans on the automobile will be maintainedV through relay 18 plus needlebar contacts 34-33 no matter what the speed may be as long as nohighwayv actuating means is-passed to interrupt or actuate the needle-bar contacts, but that when `a highway device is passed the speed musthave beenvreduced to the predetermined low or safe' speed, at which timethe relay 18 will be maintained by .a substitute circuit through thespeed switch contacts 30;29; so that when the needle-barcontacts 34-33are opened the substitute circuit will have been formed.y

It will now be presumed that the automobile is traveling at an,excessive speed, or at a. speed above the predetermined low speed offifteen miles per hour, at the time a high- #way device 37 is passed andthe conditions of the apparatus will then be as shown in Fig. 4 of thedrawing wherein bothrelays '1S-19 are d'eeergized the speed switchcontacts 30x-29 are open and the needle-bar con i tacts 3433-are alsoopen. -f

Under these conditions, the ignition circuit or power means will be cutoff because current from the main battery 25 cannot pass' througharmature 20 `to contact 21 thence to ignition switch 26, nor cancurrentv pass from, said main battery 25 through the front contacto`f`armature 22 of relay 19 'and then to relay must therefore be enertheignition switch 26 because relay 19 is'deenergized and its armature' hasdropped and its back contact, b, has a connection only with the brakemechanism. Neither can relay- 18 pick up its armature 20, when theneedle-bar contacts 34--33 close, as the latter do immediately afterpassing the highway device, because the gap between the relay 18 andarmature 20 is too up Valthough the su stitute circuit through relay 18from battery 39 will be closed as needle-bar contacts 34-33 close.

Therefore when both relays 1819 become deenergized by the opening ofneedle-bar contacts 34-33 while the speed switch contacts 30-29 aredisengaged, the power means or the ignition circuit will be entirely cuto until the speed of the vehicle is reduced to the predetermined safespeed and when the speed has thus been reduced, the lspeed-switch con-ktacts 30-29 close and by closing accomplishes two things, to wit Itfirst causes relay 19 to become energized iand secondly,-it enables alow-speed ignition circuit to be formed which low speed circuit willonly be closed so long as the speed of the automobile is kept below thepredetermined low-speed limit. v

The circuit for .thus energizing the speed relay 19 when the automobilespeed is reduced is therefore as follows A From relay 19 by wire 47 tobattery 48 then by wires 49 and 42 to and through the needle.- barcontacts 34-33 which are closed; then by post 15, wires 41 and 45 tospeed contacts v30 and 29, which latter have also closed because thespeed has been reduced, then by wire 46 back to the relay 19 thuscompleting a circuit through the relay 19 from battery 48.

A circuit would also be completed through relay 19 from battery 48; bywire 47, battery 48, wires 49 and 43 through relay 18 (although armature2O of relay 18 is still down) then by wire 44, battery 39, wires 40 and45 to and through speed switch contacts 30 and 29, thenA by wire46 backto relay 19.

Having thus energized relay 19 and picked up the armature 22, althougharmature 20 of relay 18 is still down, a low speed ignition circuit willbe formed from the main battery 25 to the distributor as follows:

From battery 25 by wires 50 and 56 to post 57 of speed relay thenthrough contact 58 to front point a, of armature 22, then by y wires 59and 54 to the ignition-switch 26 and then by wire to the distributor 27,thus \providing a circuitfor ignition purposes only so long however asrelay 19 is kept energized by the speed switch contacts 30 29engag1ng,because`it should be borne in mind that armature 20 of relay 18has been ,down

since that relay was deenergized.

The speed therefore of the automobile cannot exceed the low speedlimitfas long as armature 20 is down because the moment the speed switchcontacts 30-29 disengage as the speed is increased the speed relay againbecomes deenergized and by dropping amature reat to eiect this pick,

22 and its front contact, a, again cuts off ork interrupts the ignitioncircuit.

It will thus be noted that when the .automatic interruption of theignition circuit takes place the power is cut olf until the speedisreduced to a safe low speed, then the low speed ignition circuit isformed and this will continue until the armature 20 of relay 18 isreset, but this resetting is to be accomplished manually by the driverwho must stop his automobile and then reset armature 20, in thisinstance by pressing the reset bar 60 which will lift the armature untilthe magnet 18 can pick it up and hold it.

It will thus be seen that the driver is not rendered helpless becauseafter the power is cut off andthe speed of his automobile is reduced,the power is again restored when the speed has been reduced and theautomobile has not been brought to a standstill but may be driven at thelow speed untilrthe driver takes the time to reset the armature 20.

Thus the automobile will not be stalled at a dangerous place but willsimply have its speed cut down automatically.

When the ignition circuit is automatically interrupted by the droppingof armature 20 said armature when dropping, closes a circuit through aback contact 61 and thereby effects a plurality of operations.

For example, when the armature 20 engages back contact 61, it may closea circuit through the solenoid brake device 10 by conipleting a circuitfrom the main battery 25 by wires 50 and 51 to and through the armature2O back contact 61 as lshown in Fig. 4, thenby wire 62 t0 back contact,b, of armature 22 of relay 19; then by post 63 and wire 64 to solenoid10 to actuate the brake rods, and from the solenoid by wire 65 to groundand back to battery. y

The closing of this same back contact circuit may also be utilized tooperate signals such as the lamp 66 and a lamp, horn or bell 67, both ofwhich are connected by a wire 68 from wire 62, and by wires 69 and aground wire 70.

Thus when the automatic cut of of the power takes place, the brakes maybe applied and visual and audible signals be given.

When vthe ignition circuit is interrupted because, of excessive speed ata dangerous place in the highway, the brake is applied because bothrelays 18 and 19 are deenergized and armature 20 is in engagement withback- Leoaaee solenoid circuit at back contact, t, and post 68 whereuponthe brakes will release.,

Thus it will be seen that the brakes will be y applied when the ignitionis interrupted but will be released again when the ignition is restoredand the speed has been reduced. y

Having described my invention, l claim 2f- 1. ln an automobile, acircuit controller supported on the automobile so as to be directly andeffectively operated by a permanent magnet located in a roadway, and analarm circuit interrupted by said controller.

2. In an automobile control system, a permanent magnet located on aroadway, and an automobile having analarm actuated by said permanentmagnet.

3. In an automobile, a circuit controller including a-member of magneticmaterial supported on the automobile so as to receive the uX from apermanent magnet located on a roadway, an ignition circuit opened bysaid controller and an alarm also actuated by said controller.

4. In a vehicle control system, a permanent magnet located in a roadway,said permanent magnet being located longitudinall substantially at rightangles to the longitudlnal direction of said roadway, and a vehiclehaving an ignition circuit interrupted by said permanent magnet. p

In testimony whereof I aiixl my signature.

. CHARLES ADLER, JR.

